So, I went to see Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom today, after missing its opening weekend because of work and other obligations. I had to admit, going in, that I was not completely excited for this film, despite the fact that it has dinosaurs, lots of dinosaurs, and I love dinosaurs. It felt too familiar, at least according to the trailers, too “been-there-done-that,” so to speak. And, in some ways, it is, elements Felt rehashed, it really is a very loose remake of The Lost World: Jurassic Park in much the same way that Jurassic World is a remake of Jurassic Park. But, apart from that, I was pleasantly surprised. This film, like Star Wars: The Last Jedi, actually departs from the formula, somewhat, and it is better for it. A lot of the action takes place in one location, a mansion. It creates a new sort of tension that we haven’t experienced in a while and I quite enjoyed it. Someone on twitter mentioned it felt a little like The Relic, with it’s enclosed, claustrophobic setting, and I had to agree. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are back, as is Jeff Goldblum from the original, albeit in VERY SMALL cameo, and they are fun. The dinosaurs look cool, even if they may or may not look like our latest understanding of dinosaurs. I’m a sucker for this stuff.

Jurassic Park is still the gold standard, sadly, The Lost World doesn’t hold up story-wise and the less said about Jurassic Park III the better, but I think Fallen Kingdom May be better than Jurassic World and those other two. I found myself on the edge of my seat, leaning forward and totally caught up with the action.

Worth watching. I was enthralled.

-all photos via IMDb.com.